JT Strong Arm Installation Question
'Afternoon, everyone. I just picked up the JT Strong Arm kit from my local CW for my 5th wheel. Got the over 58" kit as my legs are 59 1/2" apart. I haven't unboxed everything yet (picked up the ki...
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Thought I'd update everyone on how the install went. I bought a few tools in preparation for the job -- a good set of metal bits and a deburring tool. I got some tap oil to keep the bit lubricated/cool -- and everything else I already had.
A close inspection of the underneath of my camper showed that the under belly goes to about half the width of the main frame rails on each side -- so the edge was exposed on top and bottom which allowed me to use nuts and bolts rather than self-tappers. I did have to trim one small piece of the under belly, but it cuts easily with a sharp blade.
I also noted that there isn't a horizontal frame rail support for the rear that was in a place I needed for installing the rear bars. I contacted Lippert, my frame's manufacturer, and obtained the engineering diagram -- which validated what I already suspected and helped me determine what was/wasn’t underneath the under belly. The best option for the rear would have been to install a piece of angle iron bolted to the main frame rails, and mount the JT legs to that. Of note, if you have power telescoping rear stabilizers, you'll need an adapter for the legs that isn't included with the kit. It is just a few metal plates that I think should be included with the kit.
I also called Mobile Outfitters, a division of Lippert, who distributes the JT Strong Arm kits. After speaking with the tech, they strongly suggested I install the front 4 legs...and see how much stability I get from just those 4 before I go through the trouble of installing the rears -- that 95% of what these stabilizer arms will do comes from the front 4.
So I went out early this morning and got to work. This isn't a difficult job once you read through the instructions, determine which parts apply to your specific camper, and know what your plan is. The instructions are actually quite good. The most time-consuming part is drilling through the frame. If you have expose frame rails and plan to use nuts and bolts instead of the self-tapping screws, I would strongly suggest you get very high quality 1/8" (for pilot holes) and 3/8" bits. It will cut the amount of drilling time down considerably. Even with high quality bits -- a low speed drill, lubricating oil, and patience is required for the drilling.
Everything went as planned, I wore my safety goggles to keep the hot metal meanies from getting into my eyes, and I was in business. I attached the front 4 bars and I was ready to test out the install.
I brought my wife out and, with the bars in the unlocked/sliding state, had her push sideways on the nose of the camper to show her how easy it was to rock it back and forth -- and that's what we were feeling inside the camper. I then locked the 4 stabilizer bars, and bumped the nose of the camper up slightly to firm everything up, and then had her push on the camper again. She couldn't get it to budge -- not one bit -- despite how hard she pushed. We went inside and tried to rock it back and forth -- and trying our hardest, we could detect only the slightest amount of movement -- but you'd never feel that under normal use. To go one step further, she went into the master bedroom and closed the door. I walked all around the rest of the camper and she couldn't tell when I was standing still or moving. I see no need to install the remaining 2 bars at this point. We're camping in about a week and a half and will know for sure after that trip.
I did the install by myself and really took my time and the setup took me a tad under 3 hours. If you had someone fetching/passing tools and preassembling some of the parts, it would go quicker.
So...there's the update.
Rob
A close inspection of the underneath of my camper showed that the under belly goes to about half the width of the main frame rails on each side -- so the edge was exposed on top and bottom which allowed me to use nuts and bolts rather than self-tappers. I did have to trim one small piece of the under belly, but it cuts easily with a sharp blade.
I also noted that there isn't a horizontal frame rail support for the rear that was in a place I needed for installing the rear bars. I contacted Lippert, my frame's manufacturer, and obtained the engineering diagram -- which validated what I already suspected and helped me determine what was/wasn’t underneath the under belly. The best option for the rear would have been to install a piece of angle iron bolted to the main frame rails, and mount the JT legs to that. Of note, if you have power telescoping rear stabilizers, you'll need an adapter for the legs that isn't included with the kit. It is just a few metal plates that I think should be included with the kit.
I also called Mobile Outfitters, a division of Lippert, who distributes the JT Strong Arm kits. After speaking with the tech, they strongly suggested I install the front 4 legs...and see how much stability I get from just those 4 before I go through the trouble of installing the rears -- that 95% of what these stabilizer arms will do comes from the front 4.
So I went out early this morning and got to work. This isn't a difficult job once you read through the instructions, determine which parts apply to your specific camper, and know what your plan is. The instructions are actually quite good. The most time-consuming part is drilling through the frame. If you have expose frame rails and plan to use nuts and bolts instead of the self-tapping screws, I would strongly suggest you get very high quality 1/8" (for pilot holes) and 3/8" bits. It will cut the amount of drilling time down considerably. Even with high quality bits -- a low speed drill, lubricating oil, and patience is required for the drilling.
Everything went as planned, I wore my safety goggles to keep the hot metal meanies from getting into my eyes, and I was in business. I attached the front 4 bars and I was ready to test out the install.
I brought my wife out and, with the bars in the unlocked/sliding state, had her push sideways on the nose of the camper to show her how easy it was to rock it back and forth -- and that's what we were feeling inside the camper. I then locked the 4 stabilizer bars, and bumped the nose of the camper up slightly to firm everything up, and then had her push on the camper again. She couldn't get it to budge -- not one bit -- despite how hard she pushed. We went inside and tried to rock it back and forth -- and trying our hardest, we could detect only the slightest amount of movement -- but you'd never feel that under normal use. To go one step further, she went into the master bedroom and closed the door. I walked all around the rest of the camper and she couldn't tell when I was standing still or moving. I see no need to install the remaining 2 bars at this point. We're camping in about a week and a half and will know for sure after that trip.
I did the install by myself and really took my time and the setup took me a tad under 3 hours. If you had someone fetching/passing tools and preassembling some of the parts, it would go quicker.
So...there's the update.
Rob
